History:Earths resources are constantly being consumed at an exponential rate. One of the most valuable resources is oil, which is constantly being pumped from beneath the surface. However, humans are not the only creatures on Earth in need of oil. An ancient creature living thousands of feet below ground fed on the black liquid and was forced to the surface in order to find food. The creature attacked several off shore oil platforms and oil tankers in the Gulf of Mexico causing major oil spills.

The creature displayed an ability to exhale streams of fire, as well as an ability to resist scorching hot flames. These traits bore a strange resemblance to the mythological creature with an affinity to fire. Due to the close resemblance, the newfound creature was given the name Salamandra.

Even though Salamandra appeared to by impervious to fire, it was actually its weakness. The creature lived underground for its entire life and was not adapted for the surface under the scorching sun. It required moisture in order to survive, but fire caused its skin to dry quicker. When the military discovered the creatures weakness, they developed special heat rays that could quickly sap away moisture from its target. The newly developed weapons were highly effective against Salamandra, but they were unable to destroy the creature and instead forced it to retreat back into hiding, never to be seen again.

Notable Traits:

- Regenerative Limbs and Tail: Like its tinier descendents, Salamandra can regenerate its tail or limbs if they become severed from its body, but at a much faster rate. A severed limb can be replaced within a matter of minutes.

- Moist Skin: Salamandra has special glands in its skin that secretes a mucous which helps keep its skin moist. This mucous is also special in that it makes Salamandra impervious to fire.

- Toxic Glands: The large puffy pockets, known as paratoid glands, located behind Salamandras ears secrete a neurotoxin known as Tetrodotoxin; the same type of poison found in puffer fish and the blue-ringed octopus. The toxin blocks off the ability for nerve cells to fire action potentials, which causes most of the bodys systems to fail. This can lead to death, when the diaphragm becomes paralyzed leading to asphyxiation.

- Protractible Tongue: The tongue of Salamandra is different from other amphibians and is much more similar to that of a chameleon. A bone at the base of the tongue helps launch the tongue quickly forward to reach its prey. At the tip of the tongue, is a suction cup covered in thick mucous that helps hold its prey. The force used to launch the tongues is strong enough to pierce flesh, so the tongue can be used as a powerful weapon as well.

- Fire-Breather: The oil that Salamandra feeds on can be regurgitated through special openings on the sides of the creatures mouth and ignited with his hot breath to create a stream of flames.